


I Must Confess, I Still Believe

by MarieVargas



Series: Kent Parson is a #Mess [1]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Angst, Drama, Drama & Romance, F/M, Hockey Fights, Hockey Injuries, Las Vegas Aces, M/M, Multi, Past Relationship(s), Philadelphia Flyers, Polyamorous Character, Slow Burn, Soft Hockey Boys, Time Skips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-02
Updated: 2019-07-02
Packaged: 2020-06-02 15:43:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19444507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarieVargas/pseuds/MarieVargas
Summary: Jack is traded to the Golden Aces. Now, he and Kent must figure out how to coexist on the same team.





	I Must Confess, I Still Believe

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mousselinegateau](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mousselinegateau/gifts).



“Shits, this isn't really the best time, you know.”

“I get that, Jack, but, listen to me, I am willing to physically fight him if he says anything. I am very much willing to beat the actual tar out of a NHL captain if he dares to even look at you wrong, Jackabelle. All that shit that happened in the past is going to stay in the past and, and, listen to me, if he is going to run his dumb mouth for saying a word about you and Bitty breaking up after your whole revealing to the world that you are queer and you are here, I will make sure he swallows what real teeth he has left.”

Jack pauses his packing, glancing around his mostly empty apartment, “Shitty, aren't you a pacifist?”

“Jackie, babe, I am a cause no harm, take no shit kind of guy. I literally don't care if I get my ass kicked as long as I get to defend your honor.”

He turns to Shitty again, as if he was going to respond, but instead he turns back to his boxes and starts shoving things in, suddenly realizing that it doesn't matter how they go in there anymore. The fragile things and most of the furniture had been already shipped off to Vegas in a mobile storage unit while he waited to get an actual apartment out there.

Shitty continues to stare from his spot on the floor across the room before he slowly gets up onto his knees and walks on them over to Jack. He wraps his arms around him and squeezes him into a hug until Jack relents and turns to bury his face in his shoulder.

"... I'm gonna miss you, B."

"Don't you get all sappy now, because then I'll cry, and I know that when I start crying, you'll start crying, and I don't think your mom is gonna like me making her baby cry before you both head out cross the country," he says softly, burying his face in Jack's hair.

"Shut up," Jack answers, a hand gripping Shitty's shirt as he lets go of whatever he was still holding to wrap both arms around his best friend.

"Lards and I are going to head out that way for our anniversary, keep you company and all that shit. We might even drag the boys with us because you know the frogs and Holtz and Rans have been talking about linking up for like a year now, so-"

Jack just sighs and sags against his best friend, feeling Shitty reposition a bit to adjust to the weight of a NHL player leaning on him.

_X_

Two days later, after a few hearty and tearful goodbyes from his four best friends on the east coast, he makes it to Vegas with his mother. Alicia daintily takes his boxes and loads them onto a carriage as he gets the rest, insisting that she doesn't need to help him.

"Maman, you can go check for the rental car papa got, I have the rest of this."

"Jacques, I came to help, so I'm helping. You can relax, sweetheart," she answers with a gentle swat to his arm as she continues to grab the rest with him.

The drive to the T-Mobile arena is fairly uneventful, despite his mother getting road rage at a few people who are obviously lost. He even attempts to shrink down in his seat a bit when she sticks her hand out the window to flip off some poor unfortunate soul who dared to slow down to a stop at a yellow light.

"Jack, you're early, we weren't expecting you until tomorrow at least," Craig Chamberlain, the head coach of the Aces says, "Come on in, we'll get you your stall and introduce you to the guys that are hanging around."

_X_

"Jack, this is our goalie, Nicholas Rogers, also known as Scraps; our D-men, Jeffery Troy, also known as Swoops, and Alfred Harris, Hippie. Through there is one of our wingers, Craig Stewart, Stewy, and our back up goalie, Ryan Sullivan, Sully. We got some boys still on the ice, but we are gonna stick you right over here next to Stewy, he doesn't bite-"

"Off the ice anyways," Stewy says with a grin, showing two of his teeth on the top left side are missing.

Jack just offers a weak smile and a hand to shake, which Stewy accepts firmly.

"Nice to meet you, kiddo. Trust me, I ain't as scary as I look. Scrappy has beaten up more guys than I have. On and off the ice."

Chamberlain looks at his phone and excuses himself for a minute and Stewy tosses his shoulder pads haphazardly in his cubby, "I guess I get to show you the rest of the tour, seniority and all that."

"Don't throw your back out, old man!" Hippie chirps with a sneer, having changed into his outside clothes and started braiding his hair.

Stewy flips him off and guides Jack out to the ice, his skates clicking through the hall.

The first thing Jack sees out on the ice is him, standing there in all of his equipment besides his helmet, holding his mouthguard in his hand as he gestures wildly for the backup forwards to work on some kind of play. His blond hair is slicked back with sweat, his cowlick sticking up defiantly against the gravity trying to drag it down.

He runs a glove over his head and sighs, "Carly, I swear to whoever the fuck is listening, you've run this play a million times and I can't believe that fucking Wiley is doing it better than I've ever seen you accomplish it. You know what, I should switch you and Sully, seeing as he's got a big mouth and you obviously do a great job of keeping the puck away from you. In fact-"

He turns around and he does a quick double take, stopping to stare at you. He blinks, then turns back away, "Practice is over, go be polite, you heathens, and go greet our new winger. Seems like the warden sent him off with Stew."

The men grumble and grab their stuff, Carly looking disgusted and avoids speaking to Jack as he walks by. The rookie, Wiley, instantly grabs Jack's hand in both of his and shakes it firmly twice, "You're an inspiration, Mr.Zimmermann."

The other winger, a man called Sputnik, just nods his head and says a polite hello, then hurries by.

"Good to see you again, Zimms. Didn't expect you until tomorrow at the earliest, but I should've known you'd be here early. Welcome to the team," Kent says, offering a hand to Jack the second he has a moment to turn around.

He blinks at it, his words stuck in his throat as he tries to think about what he was just about to say. Did he even have anything to say in the first place? He had been so worried about coming here and interacting with Kent that he didn't even realize that maybe things would be alright after all. They didn't seem weird right now, did they? What was he even worried about?

It occurs to him, a few moments too late, that he has just been staring at Kent and not saying anything, so he grasps the hand in front of him and gives him a halfway decent handshake.

_X_

"No, Shits, he hasn't given me any trouble. I mean it. No, things have been fine, really… Yes, I'm finishing unpacking right now, actually. Maman said she might visit next week, so I've been working on fixing everything up, she's only four hours away working on that new James Bond movie, Jane Bond."

Jack puts his phone in his pocket, his earbuds in his ears as he lets Shitty keep talking to him. In the last month, he has managed to set up his bedroom and the guest room, as well as his living room. His office and the kitchen were really the only things left as he put up his albums on the shelf, "B, calm down, I've been doing great. The boys and I have been getting along well, I think Wiley has taken a real shine to me and even invited me out for drinks with his friends. Stewy keeps telling me to have dinner with his family too."

He paused, then started to chuckle, "I'm not replacing you, B. Honest. I-... Hang on, I'm getting a text. Texts. Who's messaging me?"

  * **Group:Bohemian Rhapsody**
  * **Barbie has invited Jack Zimmerman to group**
  * **Barbie: Zimms**
  * **Barbie: Zimms u r now one of us**
  * **Coyote: tender**
  * **Barbie: This is the queer chat for the Aces**
  * **Coyote: some people in this chat don't really talk, despite being here forever**
  * **Jack: ...**
  * **Jack: Nicknames?**
  * **Coyote: i'm wiley, barbie is parse, ke$ha is @Jeffery Troy , and i think bitch muted us is @Ivan Braginski , then we got selena is @Ryan Sullivan**
  * **Selena: I've been here bruh.**
  * **Selena: Why don't we have Scraps again?**
  * **Barbie: He keeps changing his name to Scrappy Doo**



"... B, Kenny added me to a gay group chat they have… No, you're right, I wont call him Kenny to you. But, euh, yeah, they have me in their chat now? Oh, ok. It's blowing up now. Oh. Shitty, I think I might have to mute this group chat, my phone is vibrating and-... My name is now Lady Haha. I'm being chirped relentlessly. One of the kids is complimenting me between chirps."

  * **Selena has added Nicholas Rogers to group**
  * **Nicholas: Eyyyy who added Jackie boi?**
  * **Nicholas Rogers has set their nickname to FREDDIE MERCURY BABAY**
  * **Barbie: This is why we can't have nice things, Sully**



".... No, I do not think that this is how acceptance is supposed to go… No, you can't fight them, Shitty."

_X_

Jack is set on the ice, waiting for the puck to drop.

The second the whistle blows, he's got it, listening to the roar coming from next to his penalty box. Out of the corner of his eye he sees the sign 'Jack Zimmermann has seen me NAKED' in Samwell Red, next to another sign that says 'Jack Zimmerman is my Dad' in gold glitter.

He pivots and glides across the ice like he's made for it, barely even pausing as he's blocked off by a large d-man, passing the puck to the side like second nature.

The whistle blows again and it takes him a second to realize that they scored as Stewy comes crashing into him.

'Circus' by Britney Spears blares over the speakers as everyone goes to get back into place, Parse talking to the ref as he manages to take the puck and make his way to their penalty box.

"DID YOU ALL SEE THAT? A ZIMMERMANN-PARSON NO-LOOK ONE-TIMER!" Stewy shouts, giving Jack a noogie before rushing back to his spot.

They get switched for their next play and Wiley first bumps Jack after he jumps the box, grinning to himself before going to take the center ice.

Parson turns to Jack and hands him the puck from their goal, "Sign this, would ya? I'm gonna assume your friends would want something as a wedding gift, seeing as I'm assuming you did that for them."

He blinks stupidly, but does take the puck and scribbles his name on it, making sure to write a happy anniversary note to Shitty and Lardo before glancing at what Kent wrote on the other side. 'To the Queen of Beer Pong and her Knight. ♡ K Parson'

_X_

The second Jack emerges from his shower, he is attacked by an armful of Harvard Lawyer. He attempts to keep hold of his towel and not drop his best friend, who may or may not be sobbing about how much of a beaut he is.

"Your beautiful face, and your beautiful hockey skills, and your beautiful ass, I can't believe you would go out of your way to make this the best day of my life. I am shedding so many manly tears right now, Jackabelle, Jacqueline, Jackson, Ja-"

"Can I please put pants on, B? Please? Also, I got a present for you. It's from me and Parse."

Shitty sits on the bench by his cubby, jiggling his leg in anticipation as Jack dries off and pulls on his game day suit. He hops up and gets the jacket and pocket square ready while Jack tries to button up his shirt.

Hippie snorts and chirps Jack, his flow all over the place as he attempts to separate it into two sides to braid, "Didn't know you needed a butler, Zimmerman, I should take a leaf outta your book."

"Ha ha, you probably need one, don't think I haven't noticed the clip on ties."

Stewy reaches over for a first bump, "His flow is so rank, I've seen him use head and shoulders for the last five years, it's downright embarrassing. "

Hippie immediately goes off on Stewy, who grins like the cat who caught the mouse.

They make it outside, Jack managing to duck the press after the first few questions, then he makes his way to his friends, Ransom and Holster jumping on him fast enough that he almost didn't get to see the 'Ja Zimme' and 'ck rmann' written across their torsos in gold and black paint.

Tiny arms loop around him from the back and Lardo shoves her face into his spine, "You fucking killed it out there, Jack."

The second he's free, Shitty's arm is around his shoulders and the frogs pounce on him. Dex and Chowder immediately start telling him how impressive that game was as Nursey takes out his phone to get the photos for evidence on how 'swase this whole thing was for the people back home.

_X_

Kent invites them for dinner with some of the guys at his place, everyone cheering and drinking as they watch replays of the game. Shitty starts bawling over the puck, hoisting it in the air like it was the game winner, which it may as well have been, seeing as that was when the flow of the game really came together.

Kent sits on his bar counter, ranting to Ransom and Holster about how he didn't even think they could pull that off thirteen years later. He glances over and catches Jack's eye, before delving back into the conversation, his drink draining quicker than before.

Lardo challenges Wiley to a game of beer pong not long after and soundly whoops him until he gives up and hoists her on his shoulder. Swoops cheers her on with Kent, raising their beers in honor. Shitty throws an arm around Kent and starts a chant with him to show respect to their goddess.

Ransom and Holster find time to make their way to Jack and tell him about their plans in Ontario, grinning ear to ear as they describe Haus 3.0, which Jack just shoves them off, laughing his way through his third beer. His eyes look through the din as Holster shouts for someone to beer him, his eyes just barely catching Kent as the blond scoops up his cat and perches on the back of a chair.

The frogs chat with Wiley and Sully, sharing stories about college and their lives, the frogs cuddling into each other comfortably and grinning at the other two. Wiley starts pulling up pictures in his phone, showing off a young man dressed in a marine's uniform, puffing his chest out in pride as he brags about said man. Then he shows off a few more people, getting rosey in his cheeks as he talks about all of them until Sully accuses him of dating too many attractive people.

By the time everyone starts ubering back to their places a few hours later, Jack handing his keys off to Lardo, he realizes that Kent hasn't been anywhere to be seen for a while.

He makes his way to the back of the house to say his goodbye, just to catch him and Swoops in the bedroom, talking in hushed voices.

He pauses at the door just as Kent covers his face in his hands and falls back onto the bed, "Jeff, he's killing me and you know it. I am so stupid and you know it."

Jack feels his chest get tight and he takes a step back just as a cat goes zooming past his feet and bumps the door open.

Swoops turns and catches sight of Jack, but Jack doesn't stay much longer, making his way out of the house and towards the spot his uber was about to arrive.

_X_

Jack's new game warmup routine seems to include talking to Shitty on the phone for half an hour after his nap.

"Shits. I think I can't play for them anymore."

He falls back on his couch as he listens to Shitty start to berate him with questions, telling him that everything seemed fine last week, and the week before, and all the back to their anniversary literally three months ago.

"I just… I don't know. Maybe I'll get traded again. Or I'll just retire, thirty-three isn't too early, is it? I mean, who cares that Stewy is forty-two. He's made of piss and vinegar. It's fine."

He hesitates at Shitty's next question, then covers his eyes with his arm.

".... That may be my problem. No, he hasn't said anything, but I just… Yeah, ok. Love you too. Don't you dare think about that. You won't even make it here until tonight after the game. I'll talk to you later. Ha ha, I'll remember that."

_X_

It was a simple check gone bad.

Jack didn't even know what came over him.

He saw Kent on the ground and next thing he knew, he and Swoops had both dropped their gloves and it took Stewy, Hippie, a ref, and one of the Flyers to drag them out of the fight.

They were both carded, Swoops being sent to the box while he and Kent got sent to get checked out. A trainer was helping get Kent off the ice with his twisted ankle and Jack was trailing behind them, holding his arm. Chamberlain shakes his head and he sees him yell at Swoops before they go behind the scenes.

Kent is helped up onto a table as his skate and pants gets moved out of the way, Charles Stanhope, their trainer, immediately tsks and goes to wrap it, seeing how much the ankle has already swelled.

He gets help taking off his shirt and pads by the medic who helped Kent off the ice, Emil Myers, who winces at seeing the imprint of a skate stamped into his arm. How the hell did that even happen?

He gets bandaged up and before he knows it, he and Kent are told to sit tight as they go to report to Chamberlain and their emergency contacts what had happened.

".... Hey, Zimms?"

"Yeah?"

"You're a fucking idiot. Jeff too. I'm gonna smack the shit out of both of you, I hope you know. Why the fuck would you even do that?" He sounds more tired than mad, despite his words and the vicious hand movements he's making.

Jack just remains silent, flexing his hand to see how tight the wrap on his arm is.

Kent throws an ice pack at him, "Are you even listening?"

"Kenny?"

That stops Kent right in his tracks.

"I think I can't be on this team anymore."

The tension is suddenly very thick in the room.

"... Why the fuck not?"

"I think I might be in love with you again."

At that moment, the medic and the trainer walk back in and no more was said.

_X_

"Yeah, that's exactly what I told him."

"Jaques. You did not. LARDO, GET IN HERE. Jack fucking Zimmermann, you did not."

"I did. And I think I am gonna leave the team."

"What did I miss?" Lardo asks as she slides into the video chat, sitting next to Shitty.

"Our boy, Jack Laurent Zimmermann, told Kent that he was in love with him."

"Lit."

"BUT. OUR SON. HAS BEEN AVOIDING KENT."

"I'm older than both of you…"

"Jack. Bro. You can't do this. Do you want to do this shit again?"

"I just-"

"I'm serious. You can't just avoid him after telling him you're in love with him. That's probably the worst thing you can do. Then skip town? The fuck?"

"Lardo, I just-"

"I know you have anxiety and I know y'all have a homophobe on your team, but, really, don't you think Kent deserves to at least have a chance to respond?"

"It's only been a night-"

There's a knock on the door that stops all three of them.

"That's Maman. She's worried since me getting pulled last night, it wasn't even that much blood."

He gets up as Shitty and Lardo start talking in hushed voices, both of them noticing how Jack pulls down the arm of his sweater first.

When the door opens, he is caught off guard by a very angry Jeff Troy.

"Don't you dare say a single word, you mother fucker. Get your shit together, because you made my brother cry and I am this close to raining hell all over your ass. So, you're gonna get all your shit together, mentally and emotionally, because we are going to head over to his house and you are going to apologize to him, then make this better, under-fucking-stood? Good."

"Hey, Jeff," Lardo calls from the laptop.

He does a quick double take and his murderous look is gone, "Hello, lovelies. I'll text you later, ok? I'm stealing Jack."

"Good luck," Shitty calls as Jeff grabs Jack's good arm and drags him out the door.

Fifteen minutes of silence later takes them to Kent's home and Jack wishes he bailed sooner, but Jeff hops out and manhandles him out of the car less gently and up to and in the door.

Kent is curled up on his couch with his cat on his lap and a tired look about him. He just looks drained and Jack feels sick to his stomach. He doesn't think he should see this, but he is pushed in to the room and Kent bristles at seeing him. He sits up and his cat bolts, making sure to run over his elevated ankle in the process.

Jeff blocks Jack's exit and Jack has no choice but to turn to Kent, who is already throwing a remote at him.

"You son of a bitch! I can't fucking believe either of you! Get out of here! Why don't I have more things?" He attempts to throw a granola bar and a spoon, but both miss and he just sits there, looking defeated before hiding his face in his hands.

"... Kenny?"

"Don't you 'Kenny' me! You can't just assume I'm gonna be ok and just- I can't-"

"Ken? Just hear him out, ok?"

"Fuck right the hell off, Jeff! You know exactly what happened and yet-!"

Jack sits next to Kent and wraps his arms around him, "Kenny, I'm so sorry, but I need you to know what I said last night I meant, I really did."

Kent goes stiff in his arms, then turns away, "... Yeah? Well. I don't feel the same, so fuck off."

"Ken, don't you pull the same shit he just did."

Kent pushes hard at Jack, "You've broken my heart twice, asshole. I just can't… I mean… Stop looking at me with those stupid baby blues. I hate you."

Jack removes his arms from Kent and goes to get up, already heading for the door.

"... Wait. I… Fuck, I didn't mean that. Jack, please come back."

Jack turns and Kent might be crying, but he can't really tell, "Please come back, I can't do this again. I can't. I've lost you twice before and my dumb gay heart can't lose you again. You've ruined me, Zimms. I'm so in love with you."

There's a moment of silence, then Jack returns to the couch, just for Kent to throw his arms around him and kiss him.

He clings to Kent just as much as Kent clings to him.

When they break apart, Kent asks in his tiny voice if they can start over again, and when Jack just kisses him as an answer, Jeff quietly leaves them to themselves.


End file.
